A Study on the Origins and Development of Water Margin

Author: Chen Songbai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Water Margin is a tragic epic of heroes and a milestone work in the history of Chinese fiction. I often ask myself: How could the mere simple records in Wang Cheng's Brief Account of the Eastern Capital give rise to so many stories, ballads, operas, and folk tales, and ultimately form a massive work of hundreds of thousands of words that captivated several centuries? It was not until my mentor, Professor Li Shiren, suggested that I view Water Margin within the historical context as a "social phenomenon" that I began to grasp its essence: the composition, textual content, and dissemination of Water Margin are deeply intertwined with the social background, ethical concepts, and popular psychology of a specific historical period in ancient China. Only by thoroughly examining the process of its composition and dissemination can one truly understand this great work. Based on the research of predecessors and contemporary scholars, this book aims to conduct a comprehensive investigation, including expressing different perspectives on specific issues. The book is divided into two parts.